Bravo Sets Manhattan Prep School Docudrama
'Tim Gunn's Guide To Style' producer Stone & Company behind real-life 'Gossip Girl'
By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/13/2009 1:00:00 AM
Bravo is in production on a reality series about New York City private-school kids that is slated to premiere later this year. The docudrama is being described by insiders as the real-life Gossip Girl, although the show will not feature any of Manhattan’s exclusive schools specifically.
The concept fits with the network’s roster of docudramas about moneyed characters, including the Real Housewives franchise and Millionaire Matchmaker. Bravo had no comment.
The show is from Scott A. Stone’s Stone & Company Entertainment, which also produces Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style and produced the first season of Top Design for the network. A call to the production company seeking comment was not returned at presstime.
Bravo ran Webisodes featuring the children of the Real Housewives of Orange County beginning with that show’s second cycle. The new show is expected to follow the same production footprint.
Multiple networks have attempted to recapture the drama of real-life high school students since MTV’s Laguna Beach spawned a bevy of reality celebrities. But filming minors obviously presents a plethora of issues. For example, controversy arose during Laguna Beach when the underage cast members were shown drinking what was presumably alcohol at the house parties featured in the show.
MTV attempted to develop an East Coast version of its Laguna Beach franchise a few years ago, but the project did not get much beyond the casting phase. CBS also looked into a reality series about students at the Manhattan private school York Prep, but the school was said to be skittish about the attention such a project would bring.
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Does anyone know which of the schools (other than Dwight) are being filmed?
ANON - 5/27/2009 9:31:42 PM EDT -
I have known one of these people in this for a while. One of the schools is Dwight... I cant wait to watch this show. It seems like its going to be dramatic!!
Anon - 5/24/2009 9:24:17 PM EDT -
What a great drama - I'm such a fan of the arts!
John Sparks - 2/14/2009 12:43:27 AM EST -
There is no way any member of the ivy preparatory school league, Horace Mann, Trinity, etc. or any of the other top ones in nyc would allow a diverse group of their students to be filmed candidly 24/7 and have their name associated. Also, even if a group of parents at a school here were to agree, there is no way anyone else here would be allowed to associate with them publicly and be filmed. The schools and families here all care very much about appearances, both out of vanity and for practical reasons. This show could be faked, but it would be tougher in NY than in California. You'd be surprised how well everyone knows each other here, and attaching a venerable school that you could actually film inside or in reference to would be impossible. No way parents would let cameras in our house.
A. Anonymous - 2/13/2009 1:39:41 PM EST -
I have A LOT to say about this: squareeyes.blinkx.com/?p=343
I don't want real teens on my TV screens!
Kat - 2/13/2009 12:09:29 PM EST
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